Chapter 332: The Struggle for Hikigaya
"Bitch... Kikyo, you shouldn't say such uncivilized things."
Hachiman shot a stern look at Kushida Kikyo.
"..."
Kushida puffed out her cheeks, looking completely aggrieved.
"That's enough, Hachiman.
It's not like we don't know Kushida's true face, so don't sweat the details."
Horikita Suzune kept her eyes fixed on the chocolate in his hand and questioned him: "First, you'd better explain—who sent this?"
"Exactly! Giving it before Valentine's Day... that's way too cunning!"
Karuizawa Kei expressed her righteous indignation.
The other girls nodded one after another, locking onto him with scrutinizing gazes, looking as though they wouldn't let him off until he gave a clear explanation.
"Sigh~ You guys are way too gossipy...
This was just something Kiryuin-senpai gave me on a whim.
Don't misunderstand. She bought it to eat herself because she had a craving, ran into me, some things happened in between, and then she just tossed it to me."
Hachiman explained succinctly.
"Kiryuin-senpai? That silver-haired Ojou-sama from Second-Year Class B!"
With Kushida Kikyo's connections, she naturally knew of this famous beauty.
"Another great beauty, huh.
Hachiman-kun, you really have all the luck with women."
Matsushita Chiaki stared at him meaningfully.
"Don't talk nonsense. Kiryuin-senpai and I are just ordinary friends," Hachiman corrected.
"Would an 'ordinary friend' put chocolate they've already bitten into someone else's mouth?" Sakura Airi said in a faint, ghostly tone.
"Eh?!!"
"What on earth is going on?!"
The girls exploded upon hearing this.
"At noon, when I was planning to buy choco—snacks, I ran into Hachiman-kun and Kiryuin-senpai."
Sakura Airi stared straight at him.
"Uh, that was..."
Hachiman explained with an embarrassed expression: "It was indeed a bit unusual. But you know Kiryuin-senpai's personality; she does things that are different from normal people."
"..."
"I'm a gal; I can also do things that are different from normal people."
Maya Sato picked up a biscuit in her mouth and leaned toward him, gesturing with her eyes for a "mouth-to-mouth" transfer.
"In your dreams!"
Hasabe Haruka slapped the biscuit directly into Sato's mouth with one hand.
"Mmph~ Cough cough!"
Sato nearly choked. After chewing and swallowing the biscuit, she said angrily: "Hasabe, you jerk! Don't get in the way!"
"You guys are the ones getting in the way!"
Hasabe spoke with righteous conviction: "Airi and I already agreed to give Hachiman chocolate together on Valentine's Day. Be sensible and don't join the fray!"
"Keep dreaming!!
I already agreed with Chiaki and Maya to prepare a huge chocolate!
It'll be enough for Hachiman-kun just to eat ours!"
Karuizawa Kei, unwilling to be outdone, revealed her plan.
"I can't just ignore that!"
"Ho—Horikita and I have also prepared something together!"
Facing the powerful combination of the "Bust Squad" (Hasabe/Airi) and the "Gal Trio," Kushida had to suppress her discomfort and drag Horikita Suzune into it.
Horikita frowned at the mention, but after assessing the situation, she tacitly accepted the alliance with Kushida.
"Since it's come to this, let's have a contest.
Let's see whose chocolate Hachiman likes more."
Horikita issued the challenge with a face full of confidence.
"Does Horikita-san plan to win through cooking skills? How naive!"
Hasabe puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Don't you know what they mean by 'a feast for the eyes'?"
"Stop showing off your extra fat."
"The poses the three of us can strike will definitely make Hachiman-kun so obsessed he won't be able to help himself!"
Karuizawa Kei spoke flirtatiously, perfectly utilizing her "gal" persona.
"I said, that's enough from you guys. There should be a limit to your jokes, right?"
Hachiman looked helpless.
Didn't they see how terrifying the looks from the rest of the class were?
They looked like they wanted to swallow him alive!
Clearly, Hirata Yosuke receives multiple chocolates on Valentine's Day too; why are they always staring at me?
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After school.
Hachiman decisively packed his things and fled.
To his surprise, they didn't call out to him or chase after him to pester him.
However, as soon as that thought surfaced, Hachiman felt embarrassed by his own ego.
This was clearly the mindset of a top-tier normie...
Since when had he become so vulgar and depraved?
Fantasizing about multiple girls in class revolving around him.
He felt like this was going to become a new "dark history" for him.
He had to get back to the dorm, lock the door, and roll around on the floor in shame!
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"Kushida-san, what is the meaning of this?"
"Pulling us into this mysterious group chat?"
Karuizawa Kei looked at the group chat interface she had been pulled into: [Class D United Front Command Center].
"Does such an obvious logic even need explaining?" Horikita Suzune countered.
"Does Horikita-san mean: resolve internal conflicts internally, and present a united front against external threats?"
Matsushita Chiaki was quick-witted and soon grasped the meaning.
"No matter how we fight, as long as the doors are closed, it's our own struggle."
Kushida said with a firm tone: "We absolutely cannot let students from other classes seize an opening!"
"Exactly."
"I don't think I need to say it; you should all know.
Currently, the people eyeing Hachiman-kun aren't just a few from our class."
Horikita's eyes were serious as she looked pointedly toward the classroom door.
"That's true.
There are troublesome 'stray cats' in Classes A, B, and C, not to mention the upperclassmen senpais."
Hasabe showed a look of concern.
"Since that's the case, we must first establish a few rules...
First: No one is allowed to 'sneak ahead' before Valentine's Day!"
Second: We will use a lottery to decide who gets to give their chocolate first on Valentine's Day.
Third: During this period, we must take turns monitoring any girls from other classes who appear near Hachiman. Any news must be uploaded to the group chat immediately!"
Horikita wrote out the detailed rules and sent them as a group announcement.
"She even prepared group rules...
I feel like Horikita-san has changed a lot lately; her aggressiveness has increased."
The girls' gazes toward Horikita shifted.
"I don't fight battles I'm not prepared for," Horikita responded coldly.
Before, she was just " Horikita Suzune." Since that day, she had become " Hikigaya Suzune."
"I have no objection to fair competition.
But on top of that, I think we should add one more rule."
Hasabe actively supplemented the ideas: "During an individual's 'pursuit' period, others are forbidden from interfering!"
"..."
Karuizawa Kei frowned, looking hesitant.
How could she do nothing while watching the person she liked being pursued by other girls?!
"Kei, let's just accept it," Matsushita Chiaki persuaded in a low voice. "If we in Class D interfere with each other, it will only stall the progress of winning Hachiman over.
Besides, the three of us can take turns. The advantage is ours!"
After hearing Matsushita's analysis, Maya Sato expressed her support: "Chiaki has a point!"
Afterward, the girls discussed some specific details. Following a discussion that wasn't exactly friendly—but involved mutual compromise after weighing the pros and cons—the [Class D United Front Command Center] finally reached a consensus!
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Recently, the Valentine's Day atmosphere had been driving him crazy.
Hachiman planned to find a quiet corner to clear his head.
However, he found that no matter where he went, it felt like someone was watching him!
Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class A, Shibata Souta from Class B, Daichi Ishizaki from Class C...
What?
What do you guys want?
Hachiman pretended to bend over to tie his shoelace and picked up three small pebbles.
"Swish swish swish~"
Uchiha-style Shurikenjutsu (fake).
"Ah!"
"That hurts!"
"Damn, exposed so quickly?"
The three appeared from different corners.
"Huh?"
"Why are you guys here too?"
"That's my line!"
The three stared at each other, seemingly completely unaware of one another's presence.
Hachiman looked at the three with a forehead full of black lines and complained irritably, "I say, you three, instead of going to ask girls for chocolate, what are you doing following me?"
"Hikigaya, those words hurt too much!"
Ishizaki had a wounded expression.
"Ishizaki-kun, don't lose heart.
At least we can still hope for some 'obligation' (giri) chocolate," Shibata consoled him kindly.
"..."
Ishizaki opened his mouth.
Could he admit that he couldn't even receive obligation chocolate?
As Ryuen Kakeru's number one lackey, he had offended many people. The people in Class C might not dare to resist Ryuen, but they certainly didn't hold back their cold glares for a lackey like Ishizaki!
"Eh... no way?
Um, Ishizaki-kun, I'm really sorry.
How about I give you some of mine tomorrow?"
Class B wasn't preparing chocolates due to a lack of budget. However, Shibata was a member of the soccer club; he was sunny and handsome, making him quite popular with the girls. Some girls from other classes had already signaled their intention to give him obligation chocolate.
Ishizaki's body trembled; he nearly fainted from rage.
Hashimoto patted Shibata's shoulder and said earnestly, "Shibata-kun, you're very good at 'consoling' people, but don't do it again next time."
Then, his tone shifted: "Speaking of which, Hikigaya-kun is the one to be envied. I imagine you'll receive a massive amount of Valentine's gifts this year?"
Hachiman paused and said seriously, "Before talking about a 'massive amount,' we first have to define how much counts as 'massive.'"
"See? This is the kind of thing only a super normie would say!"
Hashimoto pointed at him, reaching his own conclusion.
"If you came here just to roast me, save your strength."
Hachiman couldn't be bothered to argue with them.
"Hikigaya-kun, where are you going?"
Shibata was an honest person who spoke his mind. He stated his purpose directly: "I'm here to scout on behalf of Ichinose-san."
"Perfect. I'm also here on the Princess's orders to monitor Hikigaya-kun."
Hashimoto signaled that he was done pretending as well.
"Boss Ryuen told me to pass on a message: as long as you come to our Class C, he can order all the girls in the class to give you chocolate."
As Ishizaki spoke, he revealed a look of immense envy. "How about it? That condition is pretty attractive, right?"
Hachiman's mouth twitched. "Are you sure that's not an execution?"
"Exactly. Chocolate isn't a 'the more the better' kind of thing.
It's about quality!"
Hashimoto spoke eloquently: "Like our Princess—she's a super rare, white-haired rich loli, and she even comes with a personal maid. Whose chocolate could be sweeter than ours?"
Hachiman gave him an odd look. "Hashimoto, do you know you look like a matchmaker right now?"
"Thanks for the compliment!
If I can successfully arrange a marriage for the Ojou-sama of the Sakayanagi family...
The finder's fee will be enough to make the rest of my life a happy one!"
Hashimoto looked full of excitement and anticipation.
"No way!
Hikigaya-kun, don't be blinded by money!
Ichinose is the best!!"
Shibata preached loudly.
"Shibata... don't you have a crush on Ichinose?"
"I do!"
"Then..."
"Precisely because I like Ichinose, I strongly recommend her!"
"???"
Hachiman listened in stunned silence. He didn't even know what to say.
"What is this guy talking about?"
Ishizaki was dazed. "Is it because I've never been in a relationship that I don't understand?"
"Sorry, I don't understand either," Hashimoto said, his face written with exasperation.
"Shibata, is there something wrong with you here?" Hachiman pointed to his head.
"I'm not sick! I'm perfectly normal!
If you like someone, wanting them to be happy—isn't that only natural?"
Shibata grabbed Hachiman's shoulders with both hands, his voice carrying a hint of a plea: "Hikigaya-kun, please! Please look at Ichinose more! She's really great, she deserves the best man!!"
"Hey hey hey! This 'honey trap' plan is too despicable!"
Ishizaki suddenly got anxious: "Shiina and Ibuki in our class are also great—a perfect duo of brains and brawn. Hikigaya, think it over carefully!"
"Hmph!
Having both master and servant in tandem is the true way to be a winner in life.
Besides, they're in Class A. Being guaranteed a spot in a prestigious university in the future means a bright outlook!"
Hashimoto was also lobbying intensely.
"That's enough from you guys...
Who said I was transferring classes?"
Hachiman interrupted the three of them.
"Hikigaya, don't you get along poorly with the people in Class D?" Ishizaki couldn't help but ask.
Now all three classes knew how formidable Hachiman was and were trying every means to recruit him. Only the people in Class D ostracized him—it was truly a bizarre situation!
"It's true we don't get along, but I think that's actually quite fine."
Hachiman's tone was calm. "I don't have to waste effort maintaining a superficial friendliness with my classmates. And I can slack off quite openly."
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